Contemporarily, such connections are increasingly being revived or rearticulated through ethical positions expressed for example in statements that many of the mainstream faiths have produced, setting out their relationship to the natural world and their responsibility towards the planet.
[4][5] Some sacred natural sites are connected to socio-cultural systems and institutions, some more complex than others, and to different dynamics of change and cultural interaction.
Ancestor worship and veneration of burial grounds seem to be a common trait of every culture of modern humans, as well as the adoration of natural features of great significance such as high mountains or large rivers.
[8][9][10] Because of their diversity, origins, and different and varying degrees of sacrality of their elements, it is not really possible to have full knowledge about the number of sacred sites existing in the world today.
The roles of sacred sites' custodians from indigenous, local community and mainstream religions are expressions of dedicated efforts that cultures that have specifically, if not always consciously, cared for nature in various ways.
In addition to being places where animals and plant species survive, they can provide resources such as water and medicines and other ecosystem services, they sometimes are the location of events and ceremonies, and may be traditional sites of education.
In the context of academic study and development of sacred natural sites, the concept of free prior, informed consent (FPIC) has emerged as a standard for engaging with the relevant indigenous people and local communities.
In 2003, IUCN's Specialist Group on the Cultural and Spiritual Values of Protected Areas (CSVPA) and UNESCO started work on guidelines for the management of sacred natural sites.
[2] This Group has advanced a significant amount of work on sacred natural sites, including through specific projects such as the Delos Initiative.
[7] ICIMOD developed a framework to systematically assess the cultural ecosystem services of sacred natural sites, so as to facilitate their inclusion in formal conservation planning in the countries with the mountainous Himalaya and Hindu Kush regions.
[5] An urgent need for the protection of sacred natural sites was recognized by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Article 12 in particular provides significant political leverage for developing appropriate policies for the protection and recognition of sacred natural sites at the national level.
These include:[3] Many of the drivers of these global changes are mutually reinforcing and affect cultural and biological diversity and the many services that sacred natural sites provide to human well-being.